Loyalty
by McGonagallGirl
Summary: Unsure about whether to continue. Hermione can't leave with Harry and Ron without being honest to her beloved mentor first. Rated M for possible later chapters, set after Dumbledore's funeral. Review your opinions!
1. Chapter 1

It was one hour after Dumbledore's funeral, the many people that had travelled long distances to pay tribute to the man who would forever be the hero of generations. The decision was made, Harry, Ron and Hermione would not be returning to Hogwarts for their seventh year, which may not even be consequential as the school may not even reopen.

Nevertheless, it still felt like good bye, for Hermione Granger at least. She stood in the entrance hall saying goodbye to the Weasley family who would be journeying back to The Burrow by portkey as Mr and Mrs Weasley had come the same way to the school.

"Now, Harry, Hermione, either I or Kingsley will contact you before July 30th to discuss travel arrangements."

The pair nodded.

"See you soon, take care" said Mrs Weasley in a chocked voice, her puffy eyes swam with fresh tears. She pulled both Harry and Hermione into a tight hug before releasing them and quickly leaving through the great oaken doors followed by a flustered Mr Weasley and a morose Fred and George who nodded goodbyes. Ginny gave Harry's hand a light squeeze; her eyes lingered on his face for a moment before she too followed her parents and brothers. Finally it was just the three, Harry, Ron and Hermione left.

"So, I'll see you soon then" said Ron, "We need to plan what we're actually going to do to… you know… after the wedding" he added in an undertone before waving once and leaving the hall.

Hermione sighed, "Do you think we'll ever come back?" she asked.

"Part of me thinks we'll have to, this place was so important to him, to both of us. If it's going to end, it'll be here." Replied Harry heavily.

His hand was in his pocket and Hermione knew it to be clenched around the fake locket.

"I need to grab the last of my things from the dormitories" said Hermione.

"Okay, I think I'll go and see Hagrid before he takes the first years back across the lake"

Hermione nodded.

"I'll meet you on the platform then" she added before turning and heading up the marble staircase.

She reached the Fat Lady who sobbed, "Password?"

"Um…" said Hermione, an idea had been born during the funeral, if they couldn't finish the job, if they died before the task's completion, who would carry on? It was then that she made her decision, to entrust one more person with the information she had, she turned to tell the Fat Lady not to worry but she had moved into the portrait next to hers and was now sobbing into the arm of a very sympathetic looking knight.

She therefore headed to the place where the one person in whom she would entrust her life resided. She knocked lightly three times on the door. When no reply came, she knocked again. This time earning a weak but agitated, "Not now".

This would remain one of the only times she had ever disobeyed a teacher; she proceeded to enter, pushing the heavy door slowly open. She had imagined her mentor sat behind her desk, surrounded with paperwork, instead she found her in an armchair by the fire, a glass of what Hermione knew to be Rosmerta's Finest Oak Matured Mead in her hand, her hair, out of its usual bun and braided instead in a long plait. It seemed Professor McGonagall had not heard her enter, or at least was pretending not to have heard because she didn't even look up. She was gazing into the flames.

Hermione didn't have a choice; the Hogwarts Express would be leaving in half an hour and she had a lot of information to pass on.

She approached the chair and sat in the one opposite.

"Professor?" she began tentatively.

Something in Professor McGonagall seemed to stir and her eyes rose to meet Hermione's.

"Not to be rude Hermione but-"

"I am sorry for intruding professor, I understand that today was… was… difficult but I have to tell you something, it's important" continued Hermione, but Minerva's gaze was already fixed back on the flames, she seemed to be searching for something within them.

When she spoke it was little more than a whisper.

"I am sure, Hermione, that it can wait-"

"I won't get another chance." Hermione said firmly.

Even in her emotional state, Professor McGonagall's hatred of interruption still rang through her and her gaze shot to Hermione's. Emerald green met chocolate brown and they engaged in a silent battle of wills.

Hermione had always known the woman to be formidable but fear was never an emotion she associated with the professor in front of her now.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Professor McGonagall, there was a slight tone of worry within her voice.

"I mean to say that, Harry, Ron and I will not be returning for next years school year" said Hermione, she awaited the explosion, but it did not come. Instead Minerva let out a humourless, cold laugh.

"Well, of course not. Why would anyone come here now?" began McGonagall fiercely, but when she spoke again it was whispered, "What is left?"

"You are here" said Hermione, "while you are here, students can feel safe, and they will come back Professor. They will come back because they know, that here there is someone who will die, before she lets harm come to them. The students _will _come back for you."

McGonagall remained silent; she seemed to absorb Hermione's words.

"What is the purpose of your leaving? I am assuming that you intend to depart alone, and when I say alone, I mean without the assistance of the Weasley's or any other member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Hermione nodded.

"I am also presuming that, this… departure is not simply for the purpose of staying alive" continued McGonagall.

"Well, in the long-term yes, we hope to work towards Voldemort's demise" said Hermione.

Minerva laughed that cold laugh again.

"No one can stop him now" she said, her voice seemed devoid of emotion.

"We can" replied Hermione, "we have a way… and I need… I need you to know about it before we leave because… there's quite a big chance that we… that we won't…"

"Come back?" whispered McGonagall, suddenly leaning forward and looking into Hermione's eyes which swam with tears before she slowly nodded.

"We don't even know where to start, everything seems so unlikely, the scraps of evidence that we're basing our entire plan on are just…" Hermione's voice was suddenly high pitched and frantic.

"Does this have anything to do with what Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter were doing away from the castle on the night of his death?"

"Yes" whispered Hermione, "It has everything to do with that".

"Stop, Hermione, you must tell me no more" started McGonagall, suddenly rising from the chair, "Dumbledore didn't want me to know" there was a bitterness woven into her voice.

Hermione approached McGonagall and took her hand in her own.

"Dumbledore didn't" said Hermione staring deep into Minerva's eyes, "I do".

And with that, Hermione plunged into the tale of what lay ahead for the trio, the existence of the horcruxes and where they could be.

When she had finished McGonagall was shaking.

"Hermione… you can't… it is madness" spluttered Professor McGonagall.

"I know that!" Hermione almost shouted, "But it's all we've got" her voice was rising again and her eyes pooled with fresh tears as she voiced the truths that had revealed themselves over the last few months, "We have everything riding on nothing and I have to pretend that I know what I'm doing because if I show for a… a second that I… I don't understand something or I make a mistake, then everything will fall apart."

Minerva stood rooted to the spot.

"There must be another way" whispered McGonagall, staring imploringly into Hermione's eyes.

The younger shook her head slowly, "I wish there was".

They stood for a moment, their gazes stuck to the others.

Hermione slowly heard the sound of a train approaching and realised that the Express had arrived to take the last of the students away. She lowered her hand and her gaze.

"I have to go now" she said to the floor, she hesitated for a moment, opening her mouth to say something but stopped herself. She slowly turned and walked to the door. Her hand was on the handle as she felt a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder; she slowly turned to meet the fearful, watery emerald eyes of her professor.

"Hermione I…" began McGonagall but before she could finish Hermione and wrapped her arms around her waist and pressed her head to her chest.

Then the cries came, the cries Hermione had held inside. The fear that she felt for what lay ahead. The fear of plunging herself into oblivion and not knowing. The fear that she may never feel the safety of the castles walls again, a place that had been so much more than a school.

"I just… needed… you… to… know" Hermione sobbed.

McGonagall ran a comforting hand through the young girl's hair.

"I know dear, it's alright, it'll be alright" she felt the lie leave her lips but couldn't bring herself to contradict it. She, as much as Hermione, wanted to believe that it was true and when she felt the girl relax in her arms she felt comforted that she had at least, helped Hermione one last time before she departed.

Finally Hermione drew herself away to gaze into the deep emerald orbs, the emotion she found in them caused her breath to falter.

McGonagall lifted her hand to Hermione's face and gently traced away the tears that had fallen.

"Be safe" whispered McGonagall, she stepped closer to Hermione and pressed her lips to her forehead, Hermione sighed into the touch and closed her eyes, enjoying what would surely be, one of the last moments of clarity she would experience for a long time.

"If I don't return-"

"Don't" McGonagall said forcefully.

"I just… want you to know-"

"Hermione" said McGonagall with a soft smile, "I can't think about you not coming back, I have to stay here and run a school that will no longer be untouched by dark forces but be full of them and… the idea of… of"

Hermione sighed, "I know" she said simply.

They stood a moment longer before Hagrid's call could be heard and she could put it off no longer.

"Goodbye Professor" whispered Hermione, and she turned back towards the door but upon opening it stopped when she heard,

"_When _I see you again Hermione, you will no longer be a student, therefore I think it only fitting that you call me Minerva"

Hermione's eyes filled with fresh tears again, she couldn't turn back, she could only go forward and so with a deep breath she walked onward and out of the office. When reaching the Oak doors she turned back and stared longingly at the great castle before her and something in her very being told her that no matter what happened, she would see this place again, and the woman who now stood within it.

"Goodbye Minerva".

_Pleaseeee review! MG_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thought that I'd start off by showing the pair's mindsets and reactions at different times during the year away and how certain moments might draw their thoughts to the other enjoy._

September 1st 1997

Minerva McGonagall stood in the Headmaster's office, it was a shell of the place it had been under its predecessor, the quirky instruments were gone, the colour, the light; now it was just grey, dead, emotionless- similar, Minerva thought, to the man whom it now belonged to.

Severus Snape stood with his back toward the estimable witch. The staff meeting had just finished and the new procedures had just been outlined, McGonagall and Snape were the only ones remaining in the room.

"Am I to assume that any and all punishments are to be handed out by the Carrows?"

"That is correct" spoke an even voice.

"I'll not bank on them having much to do then, _headmaster_" Minerva McGonagall hissed, "aside from the Carrows, there is not one professor here who would willingly harm a student, muggleborn or otherwise".

"You will follow the orders given to you by your Headmaster, Minerva"

A humourless laugh left Minerva's lips.

"Then point him out Severus, for I cannot see him" and with a last, disgusted glance she turned and exited the Headmaster's office.

This was little more than she had expected, she had known that punishments would undoubtedly become more extreme and may be geared more towards the muggleborns but…

"The Cruciatus curse on first years" she muttered under her breath as she reached the bottom of the marble staircase.

Minerva decided to take a walk around the grounds to settle her anger; she approached the Great Oak doors and closed her hand upon the handle.

"Good evening Minerva" said an unmistakable voice from behind her.

Minerva swallowed hard to rid herself of the bile that had risen in her throat. Without turning round she said, "Good evening Alecto"

"I am _so_ glad to be working with you" the Death Eater teased, Minerva felt more than heard her take a few steps nearer, "I should imagine that we'll be seeing each other everyday".

"Indeed" Minerva said with venom as she turned to face the woman at last, she was nearer than expected, a mere foot away.

"And to be able to educate all those young souls" Alecto sneered, "I _do _hope we'll be getting to know one another better"

With that Alecto took the final step towards Minerva, pressing herself upon her, she lifted her hand and pressed it hard between Minerva's legs drawing a gasp of pain from the older witch.

Alecto dragged her teeth down Minerva's neck.

"I've always wanted to see what's _underneath_ your stiff, act".

The Death Eater laughed against Minerva's neck and began to lift her other hand to

Minerva's breast, before she could make contact though, Minerva's hand closed around her wand and she cast a wordless spell, the tiniest of flicks causing Alecto to be flung away from Minerva and into the wall opposite. The Death Eater crumpled to the floor and clutched her head which had begun bleeding copiously.

Minerva did not lessen her hold on her wand.

"I am sorry Alecto, but were it an _act_, it would take more than a weak, pathetic creature like you to get past it" Minerva went to turn away, but her anger got the better of her and she turned back to the foul, form that was Alecto Carrow and said,

"When _this_ comes to a head" a fire flashed in her eyes, "You are mine".

She saw the flicker of fear in Alecto's eyes and the sharp gasp that issued from her lips. The powerful witch turned towards the door and stormed briskly out into the night air, with swift agility she transformed into her animagus, as the turned down the path that led to the Black Lake and the peaceful White Tomb where she always sought refuge she heard a crazed voice shriek,

"It is over McGonagall! The school is ours! And there's nothing you can do to save the filthy little mudbloods inside it!"

Minerva said nothing, for at the words that had been screamed, her mind turned to a very different muggleborn, one who was surely facing untold dangers.

XxxxX

The trio were sat in the grey, worn armchairs inside the living room of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Hermione was savagely turning pages of 'A History of Magic'.

"Honestly, Hermione what are you hoping to find?" asked Ron, pessimism lacing his voice.

Hermione ignored him.

"We must have missed something, overlooked a clue Dumbledore left for us" Harry muttered, frustration evident in his voice, tired of looking over the same pieces of information and finding nothing new.

"You know, I'm getting sick of searching round for _Dumbledore's clues_! God, it feels like he doesn't even want us to beat Him!"

"Shut up Ronald" snapped Hermione, frantically thrusting her hand into a beaded bag and yanking out 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'.

"Look" began Ron "We've been sat in this house for two weeks and what have we got to show for it?"

His comment was met with silence; Hermione stared fixedly at the book that had been left to her by the many in question. She didn't want to see the defeated look she knew was upon Harry's face. He had placed so much faith in Dumbledore and it pained her to see it waver, their whole plan pivoted on their belief that Dumbledore knew what he was doing, and that the answers would come soon.

She dragged her finger gently over the title, all the books she had ever read, all those exams she had passed, all those questions she had answered, why didn't she know _this? _

"Of course he wanted us to succeed Ron, he just… thought he'd be here to help us" Hermione said softly.

"Yeah well he's not. Snape saw to that." Said Harry bitterly.

A large grandfather clock struck eleven in the morning; something seemed to dawn on Hermione.

"It's September the 1st." Hermione breathed, "The Hogwarts Express just left Kings Cross".

"Yeah, I know" said Ron sombrely and Hermione knew that he was thinking naively of the start of term feast and longing for his four poster bed. For Hermione though, the longing she felt was not directed to the food or the comfy beds, it was her mentor and Head of House whom her thoughts turned. She longed for the conversation, the connection and the guidance that the woman had provided. More so though, she longed for a very different emotion that she connected with the woman, a feeling that had been born during their last conversation, when Hermione had said goodbye.

"I wonder what it'll be like with the Carrows… and Snape" said Ron staring into space, undoubtedly still dreaming of the feast.

"The other teachers will stand up to them" said Hermione, confident in the staff of her treasured school.

"Yeah, they'll do their best" said Harry, absentmindedly "I just hope the students have enough sense to keep their heads down, the Carrows'll make Umbridge look tame".

Hermione's stomach churned at the memory of McGonagall plunging towards the ground after being struck with four stunning spells from Umbridge and a group of ministry officials. What would the Carrows do to her? Would she see her again?

Her heart ached at the thought, she realised there in that moment that she would do everything in her power to ensure that she saw Professor… Minerva again. She promised herself that she would tell her what she had started to feel, what she could feel at that very moment.

She would tell her.

_Thought I'd explore more about what happens at Hogwarts whilst the Trio were away as it's a time that we aren't told that much about, hope you enjoyed. Review please :D _

_MG_


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